


The Life Game

by AmberAsters



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Death, Life - Freeform, M/M, Reaper - Freeform, Spicyhoney - Freeform, Tag As I Go, Underfell, reapertale kinda, underswap - Freeform, undertale - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:42:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23507809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberAsters/pseuds/AmberAsters
Summary: Edge's only job was to find Life and bring it to its knees. He has never failed at his job, ever. Until the sight of honey coloured lights seemed to change his mind.The Au's belong to their respected owners.
Relationships: Papyrus/Papyrus
Comments: 4
Kudos: 43





	1. Found

**Author's Note:**

> Something I literally just thought of yesterday while I was rereading reapertale. This will likely be only a few chapters and I'll likely have it finished really soon. I hope you guys enjoy.

“You all know your job and yet none of you have succeeded in finding life!” Edge clenched his fists a bit tighter, felt his magic humming. “There are thousands of you and only one of them and you can’t even find them!”

Maybe these scraggly old dust bags should go look themselves if they weren’t doing a good enough job. It was their whole idea in the first place.

Edge felt an elbow meet his side lightly and he glanced down at Red who held a sharp look as he gestured up to Asgore. Someone was going to be dust soon, if the look in his eyes had anything to say about it.

“All of you are worthless! Only able to take the lives that Life creates! Thats good for nothing if you can’t stop new life from happening!” Suddenly one of the other robe clad shadows was being lifted into the air and a trident suddenly being trusted through their chest. Dust curling to the ground and shadows dispersing into the air. “Worthless all of you! And if I don’t see Life begging at _my_ feet by the end of the month, this will be all of _you_!”

Asgore disappeared in a bout of smoke and then everyone was scrambling, pushing each other over as they rushed to get looking, no one else mattered if they could find Life and be in Asgore’s favour.

Edge really didn’t care much for the competition, he had “lived” long enough to know this happened once a century, that there was more than one being considered as Life. Just like there was more than one being considered as Death and just like every other year he would just have to bring another one to Asgore so him and his brother would continue to “live”. Then the process would restart in another century

“have any ideas?” Of course Red would ask him, he was the one to find Life every other time. Somehow he had a knack for finding Life.

“Not yet, keep looking and hopefully something will come up.” Edge let the dessert air pull at him, whipping him through the air and towards life.

-o-

Time was ticking, it always was, and Edge had to wonder if someone invented it just to spite him.

Life wasn’t easy to find, never was, and now with a shortened time it would only be harder. Even if Edge had been searching since the last time this happened, had scoured over every possible inch of searchable space… except maybe…

Edge travelled quickly, back to his home in the desert and began his search anew. Some times Life was crafty and would hide where Death wouldn’t think to look, to touch. Sometimes they hid in oceans, or clouds, mountains and ice fields. Sometimes you found them completely surrounded by life and sometimes you found them completely surrounded by death. It really depended on how smart they were and how good they were at their jobs.

So maybe one was smart enough to hide in plain sight, to hide in the place Death always was but would never be brought to. They very place they liked to reside. Death’s own personal desert.

Sometimes him and his brethren liked to keep the oases around, just for a change of scenery or a place to enjoy life without anyone knowing. There was one Edge knew of that no one visited, that was on the very edge of their home, and so full of life he was surprise Asgore hadn’t come to destroy it himself. Maybe he liked to keep it as a reminder of his hated sister.

He stopped just at the edge of where dessert sand started to freckle into grass, where the trees hung down think vines to create curtains and Edge could hear a voice.

Edge closed his eyes for a moment, considered and summoned his sword to his hand. With a careful hand he pulled the vines out of his way, watching as they shrivelled against his touch and took one decaying step into the clearing.

There a form crouched over some flowers, talking sweet nothings to them as if they were his lovers. Edge decided he wasn’t going to think much, and just acted.

He was quick to strike, a hand curling along the top of their throat and his sword placed at the base, ready to trap the soul of Life until it could be brought to Asgore to destroy. However, those eyes that were staring back at him made him freeze in the next second.

Edge always had rules for himself to follow, and he followed them to the tee. One, never leave anything alive, two, never think about it, and three, never look it in the eyes.

Yet here he was breaking the most important one, by looking into a set of honey coloured lights so much like his own. They seemed to hold the world and all his attention. A cruel smile curling the lips of something that should never look so devilish. Robes of honey and white folding and dirty. An air of complete and utter renounce on their face.

“what? not going to finish the job? or does your king want that job all to himself?” Life drawled the blooms below his crouching form growing bigger.

Edge brought his blade closer, effectively shutting the skeleton up and leaving his own mind in confused disarray.

He should just do his job, get it over with and hand them over to Asgore. To live another century, to stay off of Asgore’s rage list and on everyone elses’.

“you should really hurry up, you might hurt my feelings if you don’t.”

“You think I care about your feelings?” Edge growled out, tightening his grip and surly leaving a smudge of black that usually occurred when Death and Life touched. The flinch that the skeleton gave only confirmed such a thought. “You could dust right now and all I’d do would be to find another of your _kind_ and get them for Asgore.”

“oh ho, so you know of the others, alright then kill me, do it and try to find someone else.” Edge would have done, maybe, if he knew he had the time, which he didn’t. This would be his only chance, and he had to take it.

“But where’s the fun in watching you met Death so kindly.” He twisted the skeleton and pinned them to the ground, the sword pressed firmly to their vertebrae and drawing a dribble of golden marrow against black bone.

“apparently not here.” Those lights looked away from his own and he felt himself relaxing marginally, his resolving tightening. “so can we skip the kinky foreplay and just get to the act.”

Edge flinched back a bit at that while also tightening his grip enough to get the other being to hiss for air and more marrow to flow.

“Maybe I will.”

He lifted his sword ready to strike down, and yet they waited for him to strike. They waited, and waited, and waited. Eye light locked on one another the entire time, until Edge was stumbling back until his shoulder crashed into a tree and he was leaning against it for support. The more he leaned the more it crumbled and the more he hoped Life would just disappear along with it.

“what first kill?” Life questioned horsely from behind him, the idiot staying just where Edge left him instead of fleeing.

Edge had to clench his teeth, divert his inner panic into pain. His whole life was to end Life and he was failing at it, couldn’t even capture this Life like he had done so many times before. What was wrong with him.

A soft crunch of dead leaves and he was pointing his sword once again at Life’s throat, one still leaking marrow and black. All because of him.

“hey now, watch where you point that thing.” The skeleton carelessly pushed the blade aside with two fingers and took another step forward, leaning in towards Edge. “wait a minute… crimson lining?”

Life was suddenly falling backwards himself, true fear now flashing across his face. Just like someone facing down Death should.

Of course Edge knew his reputation in all manners of the universe. The only reaper with a red lined cloak, one of the only two skeleton reapers. He was greatly feared by most just for all the times he made Life kneel at his feet and now this skeleton realized it.

“red death, i…” Life pitter out, eye lights shrinking as the realized what their fate would be and it only bashed a bolder through Edge’s wall of resolve.

“Don’t… just don’t.” Edge brought his sword up again, glaring at Life and piecing together his resolve as he did. “it won’t save you anyway.” He brought the sword down just wanting to end this all before it could get worse.


	2. You

Death was in Edge’s marrow, in his bones and magic. It was the very reason he was placed here, the very reason he was even “alive”. He was Death and he would bring it down on the world just like he was ordered, and yet… and yet he found himself unable to do one thing.

Bring Death to this being of Life.

His blade moved in slow motion as he brought it down. Time freezing as it came in contact with the other skeleton’s skull, dispersing as wispy shadows across the white expanse of their skull.

He couldn’t do it. Couldn’t kill this honey eyed life, or bring it before Asgore. He couldn’t and he he was weak for it.

“Go.” He croaked. Turning from the being and pulling his cloak closer to himself as a reminder of the dust him and his brother would taste in the coming days.

“what?” Life asked stupidly and Edge almost lashed out at him then, almost yelled, but his voice seemed broken and cracked.

“Go! _Please_ … just go.” He turned away, a horrible idea to show your back to the enemy, but he didn’t care. He would be dust soon anyway, just because he couldn’t finish one simple job.

He heard Life scramble back, over dusty grass and flowers. Honey robes shining and then the skeleton disappeared much like he would see his brother do. Not in shadow or light, just gone with a static so low it was barely there. Though that wasn’t as nice as the sound of that honey’d voice before it left him forever.

“thank you.”

-0-

“find anythin’?” Of course his brother would be the one to greet him as soon as he walked through the door.

“No.” He bit out trying to decide where to look next for a replacement. His brother didn’t deserve to be dust for his own foolishness.

“damn, we might not make it this time.” Red rolled a toothpick through his teeth and then squinted at the door. “why those little bastards ‘ave ta be so hard ta find i have no idea, but it’s a pain in our lifespans.”

“Greatly.” Edge rolled a map outover the table and started to circle areas to check and recheck. They needed to find something, someone if they planned on living longer. If they planned on appeasing Asgore and being the only ones left standing while everyone else gets dusted and reshaped into new Deaths. He wondered if the same happened to Life. If the same thing would of happened to him if Asgore cut his head off like so many others and turned him to dust. Would it be gold like his eyes? Would he turn to dust, or something else? Would he be as beautiful in death as he had been in life? Morbid thoughts for a morbid creature, a creature that didn’t want this Life to die no matter how beautiful it might have been.

“papyrus!” Edge whipped his head towards his brother and stared, his own brother huffing. “been tryin’ ta call ya ‘ere boss, now what’s got ya so distracted?”

“I don’t know Sans, maybe the fact we might be dying soon? Maybe because I might have failed, or the fact that I can’t seem to do my job right?” Edge hissed, snapping the map closed and glare down at the table.

“when were you ever scared of a little death?” Red stood with a snap of his toothpick between teeth, seeming much bigger to Edge in this moment then he ever had before. “ya know i’d never let ‘at old goat touch either of us _little brother,_ so go ahead an’ fail a little, see who gets dusted because of it.”

Red blipped out of existence and Edge could only feel his turmoil grow. Going against Asgore was a death sentence. They would dust and when they reformed Asgore would just dust them out of sheer spite despite neither of them being able to remember a thing. He would do it again and again until there was no dust to reform from. They would simply cease to exist.

Edge pulled away from the table and went to his room. He would sleep, get up and try again with a clear mind. Maybe then he would actually be able to do his job.

-0-

Edge woke to the odd hum of magic in his room. In his house. The magic was unfamiliar and yet so cloyingly sweet that the air felt thick when ever he breathed. It would have been welcoming if it shouldn’t have been in his house in the first place.

He dispersed into smoke and crawled through the corners of his home to the source. All the while passing spatters of blood and muddy footprints. He creeped slowly into the kitchen and reformed with his blade in hand and threw back the chair blocking his view of the intruder.

He looked and golden eyes looked back.

“ _you_.” Edge growled and reach forward to pull Life off his floor. They squirmed and wiggled and he seriously thought of handing them over to Asgore if the continuous doubt didn’t cloud his mind and the golden marrow wasn’t burning through his hand. The skeleton dropped to the floor with a startled yelp that morphed into a groan and only noticed then that the robes he wore were golden in marrow.

“please, help.” Life muttered as he fell unconscious.

Edge cursed himself ten times over as he ignored his own pain to lift Life off his floor and carry it to his room where his brother wouldn’t be able to see it.

With carful hands he stripped back the top half of Life’s robes and assessed the damage, the moulted gold flowing from bones. He would have to dress the wounds then clean up the floor and eradicate any presence of his magic least his brother find him and take him to Asgore. Then he would have to deal with his own burns from Life’s blood and make sure he stayed alive. Stars was he going soft.

He got cloths and medication, carefully wrapping the wounds adoring his arms and ribs, the one Edge had left on his neck, without physically touching the bone. He even took the time to whip the smeared marrow off of their bones even if it meant the burn of his own hands.

When he was sure that he had gotten every injury he worked to clean up the mess on the floor while spreading his own magically thickly across the house as if he went into a fit of rage while Red was gone. That would also keep Red from bothering him in his room whenever he returned from his own searching. If only he knew Life was in his own house.

When he entered his room again with a few old robes, he found Life awake on his bed staring at him. Edge kicked the door closed behind him as he went and dumped the robes on the end of the bed. His arms crossing neatly into the folds of his own robes.

“Why are you here?” Edge growled, Life looking back at him with wide sockets.

“i was trying to hide, there were these… reapers? after me, this was the first place i could duck into.” If he was leaking such thick and sweet magic as he was when he first arrived, Edge was sure any reaper would investigate such a sweet smell.

“So you thought a reaper’s house would be any safer?” Edge felt all he could do was growl and stand as still as possible as he argued with himself on what he should do. What he wanted to do and what he needed to.

“i-i…” Life’s eyes shrunk in pain and then closed slowly. “i felt you magic and thought i would be safe.” Edge let his arms fall, watching as once again Life fainted, but this time back into his sheets. Honey gold and white stark against the black and red sheets.

“I suppose you weren’t wrong.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this might grow legs and I might lose sleep because of it... worth it.


	3. A Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rus is a depressed boy.

Edge slipped out of his room to find his brother in the living room glaring at nothing. Never a good sign in anyone’s books if Edge had anything to say about it.

“What is it?” Edge rasped, giving his brother space while hiding his bandaged hands in the folds of his sleeves.

“apparently one o’ those daisy eyes bastards stumbled right through tha neighbourhood, disappeared before anyone could catch him.” Red growled lowly in his throat before standing. “and ‘ere were ya when all that went down, throwin’ some kinda hissy fit in ‘ere! are you even tryin’ ta catch life or do ya wanna die this time ‘round!”

Edge took a step backfrom his brother, feeling the magic coat the air as some sort of thick fog. Something Edge had only seen one time before. The results were never pretty. “Maybe I don’t care anymore, have you ever thought of that Sans?” In reality he really didn’t know if he cared any more. “I’m tired of this all, forgetting would be a break, even if it does mean dying.”

“so ya would forget everythin’? forget why we’re ‘ere for just because your tired!” Sans shouted, anger peeking. “i don’t know who the hell ya are, but your not my brother.” Sans blipped out of existence, leave Edge to his thoughts and his conflicts.

Did he really want to die? To taste dust on his teeth? Did her really want to do that for this one being of Life? The scary thought was maybe he did, all because of a set of honey coloured eyes.

-0-

Red did not return and that was perfectly fine with Edge for the time being. Especially since the bane of his existence was sleeping on his bed.

Life’s wounds were healing quickly, the blackness on Life’s throat gone, and many of the scratches having stopped their flow. He was doing a lot better than Edge’s own hands, which were burning and barely usable. He never knew that Life’s blood was so dangerous to Death.

“am i dead yet?” Edge turned to the gravelled voice, staring down at the now black clad skeleton, his robes having been unsalvageable from whatever fights he had gotten into.

“Not yet, but you might be soon if you continue to test my patience.” Life open his eyes and looked up at Edge hazily, and almost dead like.

“you might as well get it over with now, i’m horrible at tests.” Life smiled, then frowned, and then shot up with a wince. “what happened to my clothes?!”

“I changed you since you were getting marrow all over my sheets.” Edge stated as he frowned. “You have no idea how hard that is to get marrow out of cotton.”

Life sent him a deadpanned stare before pulling distastefully at the black fabric. Likely hating it much more than physically possible. “and you couldn’t have just put a towel down and waited till i woke up?”

Edge snorted, “with the amount of magic you were leaking, I needed something to cover up that stars awful scent, least my brother find you in here.”

“why help me, your supposed to end life, to kill me and yet your not.” Life looked up at him with wide lights. “why me and no one else?”

“…Your different.” Was all Edge could come up with, because for some reason this skeleton was, out of all the other creatures out there, he was different even at first glance. “You can call me Edge.”

Life suddenly beamed at him, “you may call me rus.” He pulled up the hood of the cloak, covering his pale skull in darkness. “and thanks for saving me edge, i really needed the help.”

“I may be Death, but I’m not heartless.” Edge glanced over the skeleton in his robes, practical swimming in them at how big they were on him. “ Well as heartfelt as a skeleton can be and my job may be to kill you and all you're creations off, but sometimes I don’t like my job.”

Rus snorted and tried to stand, his legs shaky from loss of marrow and Edge had to stoop in to catch him before he fell, careful to not connect bone to bone and blacken Rus’s bones with pain. That also left Edge’s injured hands in plain view.

“oh.” It came out as something a little startled but quiet. Rus sitting heavily back on the bed, taking his hands with him. Headless of his own possible injury he unwrapped the cloth from Edge’s bones and Edge could only stare. Stare at the gentleness, at the soft gaze, at everything that was Rus. “how did this happen?”

“Life’s blood burns apparently.” At Edge’s words, Rus snapped his head up. Edge could see a lot in that one expression, but wasn’t able to read it fast enough in order to see what it was. 

“i’m sorry.” Rus whispered, drawing his hands away and shoving them into the lap of his robes. Looking away from him as he continued to speak. “this is my fault, i shouldn’t have come looking for you here.”

Edge felt a sudden rage at Rus’s words, a sudden realization. Rus hadn't simply wondered into their desert, he had purposely come looking for Edge. “Did you have a death wish?” He slammed his hands down on either side of Rus, smoke curling into the air from his curling fingers. “Or are you just stupid?”

“maybe both, i’m not very good at my job… most of the lives i create meet Death willingly, they greet it with open arms… we create life so that it fears Death, but i’m only able to make it seem welcoming for when it comes.” He picked at his phalanges as he slouched in on himself. “i think it’s because i would do the same if it came my way.”

Edge stared for a moment more, his glare only increasing when he spoke. “And is that so terrible?” Rus whipped wide eyes his way at the command in his voice. “That they're not afraid of death, not afraid of sacrificing themselves for others, for themeless, I’ve met some of those souls in their decent and I have never seen something more honourable.”

“but my job-“ Rus tried pitifully.

“Screw your job if it tells you everything you do is a mistake! All Asgore has ever told us is that we’re weak, and useless, and mistakes to the world! So we struggle to prove him he’s wrong, it’s why we wipe out life for him, why we get up after we die and try again, your souls do the same, they try again, and again, and again to succeed, to achieve, to get up in the morning! Is that so bad, is it so bad that they don’t fear death? When it makes the life they're given just a bit sweeter because they have nothing to fear while they live it?”

Edge blinked when he noticed the tears flowing freely from Rus’s eyes, his teeth chattering. “no.” He croaked out before gripping onto Edge and pushing his face into his robes. Soaking the golden tears into his robes “it’s not.”

“Then go ahead and greet Death with open arms when he comes for you, he might even welcome you when you do.” And he would, he would welcome this life and any other that came knocking at his door. Every soul was priceless to him, this one even more, and any life that it created.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why, usually I'm not that emotional, but writing this almost made me cry, and I rarely ever cry.
> 
> *****I'm also not saying go chasing death, I'm think I'm just saying that those who hold the lives of others above their own or living for your own well being is honourable... and maybe to wait for death when it's ready to welcome you...*****'
> 
> Gah how can I be so good at writing but so bad with words?!


	4. With me

Edge stepped quietly into the market, so few shadows crawling the streets and selling wears. Only those who have given up on the hunt were usually around, but he immediately noticed an increase of numbers and a lot less shops. There were actual scouts roaming the streets, dogs sniffing out smells and Undyne watching over them with her one good eye.

“Undyne.” He barked, catching the guard’s attention and leaving him ever curious at the glare he received. “What is going on here?”

“I could ask you where the hell have you been in kind!” Undyne stamped her foot and her eyes glared harder. “There was Life roaming these streets awhile ago and we believe he is still around, Asgore has put a price on its head.”

Edge felt dread coil deep within his ‘gut’, his thoughts racing the span of half a second before drawing to a brick wall stop. “What makes you think they're around?”

“CAN’T YOU SMELL IT!” Undyne threw her hands up into the air. “The air reeks of its blood, if it was anywhere else but here we would be able to track it, but it isn’t and the dogs are having trouble.” 

When Edge did take a good whiff of the air he was hit by that sickly sweet smell that Rus seemed to carry on him like a reef. Edge rolled the revelation over and sneered. “Then don’t look with your noses.” Undyne glared back at him and sneered right back. 

“Wonderful idea, we’ll do property inspections next, cause if we don’t find Life by the end of the week Asgore will have all our head.”

Edge almost reeled at that. “What, I thought we had till the end of the month.” 

“That was before Asgore learned Life was so close, he’s cut the time limit because of it.” Undyne glanced at the dogs and a Knight Knight who was trying to offer them money for their help. He would have better luck asking Muffet rather than a pack of loyal dogs. “I gotta go, find this before I’m on the dusting list.”

Edge hurried back to his home, his home that would likely be searched in the next few days. The very house harbouring the thing that everyone seeks. Life.

-_-

“We need to get you out of here.” Edge muttered as he walked into his bedroom and head straight for the closet. Rus watched him from his relaxed position on the bed. The room stunk of Edge himself, but there was that undertone of honey, of Rus. He needed to hide that better before Red returned, how Red didn’t smell it before was a mystery, but Edge really didn’t have the time to think that clearly about it. 

“why’s that?” Stretch drawled at he let his eyes fall closed.

“They know your here, put this on.” Edge chucked the robe at him, hitting him square in the face and digging deeper for anything that might smell enough to cover Rus’s scent. 

“stars damnit.” Edge didn’t even bother turning as he heard the shuffle of clothing, it was Rus not a danger. Besides that fact it would be indecent of him to turn while he was changing to look at those pearly bones. “how do they know?”

“Your smell.” Edge turned then glancing over Rus wearing one of his black robes, his smell still leaked through. Edge considered what could possibly enough to cover such a clouding scent before it hit him quite squarely in the skull. “Rus, what I’m about to give you to put on… theirs certain tradition that people will assume on, but it will get you to safety.”

“i’ll wear it.” Rus nodded at him and Edge sighed. He unclasped his cloak and swung it from his shoulders. The smoky fabric rippled and and bright crimson interior glared at him and placed it over Rus’s shoulders. The fabric was stark against his bones and grew so it swallowed most of his frame, onyx clap holding it together at the base of Rus’s neck. Stars did it look great on him, so much so that Edge almost wanted to make the implications true.

“Follow me, do not speak and keep your hood down.” Edge pulled his door open and lead Rus out only for the front door to open and his brother to step in. Red and him stared at each for a moment before Red’s glowing eyes landed on Rus over his shoulder.

“‘at the absolute fuckin’ ‘ell is ‘is?” Edge glared at his brother, trying to remain composed and keep his brother from finding out. From using his little gremlin powers to read his thoughts.

“The reason I don’t care anymore brother, my Shadow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda short, I'll try to write more for next time.


	5. In This

“since when is there another skeleton around!” Edge stood stoically as the Red reeled on him, feeling as Rus clung to the back of his robes as if try to meld into him. Edge could understand the action all too well, especially with the way his brother was glaring at them both.

“He’s from the out skirts.” Edge crossed his arms, feeling slightly naked without his cloak and venerable.

“so not only are ya sacrificin’ yar life for someone yar just going ta forget, they're from tha outskirts?!” Red’s anger grew and with it the heavy magic in the air. Edge’s own magic sparked in his sockets and felt Rus’s finger dig deeper into his back.

“what?” Rus’s voice drew both of their attentions to him, the wide honey lights glowing as he stared up at Edge. “what does he mean sacrificing your life?”

Edge felt himself tense suddenly between a rock and a hard place. On one side was his anger brother who was no doubt mulling over that with a fine tooth comb on how rus didn’t know. Then on the other side was a worried Rus who didn’t understand the politics in this place nor would he probably accept it.

“yeah boss, what da i mean?” Red snarked his grin feral as Edge was sure he was over thinking everything until he found the correct conclusion. A dangerous thought.

Edge stayed silent for a moment looking Red straight in the eyes, while feeling Rus clench his robes impossibly tighter. There would be no escaping this, Red would find out and either he would fight his brother or let him take Rus to save their own hides.

“Everyone dusts eventually Red, we won’t find Life and Asgore will kill us for it, even if I am to come back and forget I’ll still go looking for Rus.” Eyes narrowed on each other Red growled and threw his arms into the air.

“why did i hav’ta raise the idiot? why not someone who remembers the rules on how ta survive?” Red turned his magic slowly dissipating and curses leaving his teeth. “of everyone you had ta go carin’ for why does it hav’ta be him?”

Edge fallowed the vaguely gesturing hand to Rus who was looking us at him. His bones pristine and shining, eye lights full, so full of life. Him wearing his cloak, wearing his birthright, clinging to him. Those honey lights.

“Because brother, I don’t think I could choose between him and you if I had to.” Rus’s eyes widened and he heard his brother draw a sharp breath, eyes showing a flash of hurt that quickly schooled back into a scowl. Yet Edge would not take back his words, he didn’t think he has ever said anything truer in his life.

“fine, ‘ave it yar way, but he can’t stay here.” Red glanced behind him at the door and back at Edge. “i hope ya realize what yar doin’.”

Another staring contest between the two. Edge knew that Red knew about Rus. He knew and he was allowing him a free walk out because of Edge. He was giving him the chance to protect what Red basically saw as his so long as that cloak stayed on Rus’s shoulders. Red was giving him an out.

“I do… thank you brother.” Red grunted as a reply before his left existence in one of his shortcuts.

Edge’s hand looped around Rus’s wrist before his tugged him out the door. Rus followed behind him quickly, staying behind him as much as he could. Every Death they passed staring at them, but mostly at Rus, who was wearing his cloak, his proposal. No one would ask them, they wouldn’t question, but the rumour mill was sure to be full by the end of the day with word of his “lover”. He could already imagining Undyne and what she had to say, what he would have to come up with as an excuse.

“edge?” Rus’s voice was quiet, a whisper. “will you really die?”

Edge let the silence draw on for a moment as he navigated the barren town, their home. His words feeling clipped as he spoke. “Likely, it you don’t win the hunt in this place you die.” He glanced back at Rus in order to catch his eyes. “But I won’t let you get hurt, never.”

Rus looked down, silent, all the way out of town and into the desert. The oasis they first met at coming into view hours later. Edge pulled them to a stop, glancing around before releasing Rus’s wrist, bone protected by the dark of his cloak.

“Your safe now, so long as you don’t return to the desert and you should stay that way.” Edge said staring off, wishing this wasn’t their good bye. Wishing he never had to say good bye.

He was a fool. How he had come to this he was never going to be sure, but Rus would be safe from Asgore’s clutches and he would be able to dust in peace.

“do I have to go?” A quiet plea.

“Yes.” The answer.

“I should return your cloak.” A compromise.

“… Keep it, it suits you and it will keep you out of danger.” A promise.

“okay.”

One last glance at honeyed eyes and he was gone, gone from Edge and his dying world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda short, but I can live with it. To think theirs only five chapters left and then I can start on some of my other WIP or start some new ones. Anyway hope you enjoy.


	6. Horrible

Edge and Red sat at the kitchen table in a solemn silence. His brother picking at his teeth with a splinter of wood and Edge staring at his still burned hands. They were still waiting, waiting for their house check. They were resigned because even if nothing was found, which it wouldn’t be, they would still die in two days. Red seeming convinced they wouldn’t be, but he knew better.

Undyne didn’t even knock as she barged in with the dogs, Red some how now having a smoke between his teeth. Undyne approaching them and staring with disbelief as the dogs went sniffing.

“Life is to be hunted and you two are just sitting here!” She shouted as Edge took the smoke his brother offered and placing it between his teeth.

“What’s the point Undyne, you haven’t found Life, what makes you think you’ll find them in the next two day.” Edge growled, huffing out smoke as his brother made rings in the air. Undyne waved away both angrily.

“So you rather die!” Undyne growled, her one eyed glare fierce. Edge just felt defeat as he leaned back in his chair.

“Every one dies Undyne, even Death and just like Life we always come back, not always as whole as before, but we come back.” Suddenly Edge felt himself being jerked forward, his blackened hands on full display and he had to hide a wince when Undyne dug her claws into his wounds. His bones leaking black.

Red let out a growl as he stood up, but anything he was about to do was cut off as the dogs in the house let out a howl and Doggo was suddenly at Undyne’s side with a roll of bandages.

“Found them in Edge’s room.” The dog wined slightly. Course he would, Edge made his job easier for his blindness. All the dogs were very loyal to him, but they were more loyal to the name of King. Gold was smeared across the top.

Undyne’s eyes narrowed on him before she pressed the bandages into his arm. Smoke poured off his bones as they started to colour the same as his hands and it was seemingly all Undyne needed to know.

“Lock him up, for treason, and aiding Life.” Her eyes then zeroed at the growling Red, but Edgegave a swift kick to Red’s leg to shut him up. His brother only glared harder as they pulled Edge from the house and into the street. People gathering from the sound of the howl. Watching as he was lead away to his death.

-_-

The chains clinked around him as he shifted in his cell, his magic being sapped out of him making his bones pale and his body weak. Eyes fuzzy as he watched Undyne enter his cell once again, a swift kick to his side sending his head back.

“Ready to tell us where the little bud of sunshine is?” Undyne snarked as she used her foot to tilt Edge’s head to look at her, marrow and dust trickling from his nasal. “Cause if not it’s your own execution.”

“I don’t know.” He breathed out and Undyne’s light look turned wicked and her heel connected with his cheek hard enough to crack bone.

“Wrong answer.” She turned and left him behind, cell closing behind her with a rusty clang.

He slumped to the ground and spit out a chunky wad of black marrow on to the floor. He was going to die any way, what was the difference if it was through execution or not bring the Kings his prize. Even centuries of of staying alive and being loyal wouldn’t save his life from it.Only killing the king, and that was impossible. Would always be impossible.

-0-

Monsters had amassed in numbers, watching as he was knelt down on the stage and Undyne read off his crimes. Desert air ripping at his robes and stinging sand into his face. Monsters watched on with hate and violence, booing filling there air as they had been commended a break from their search to greet the King and watch the execution. Sad thing was they would all be dead in a few days time by the hands of their crazy king and wouldn’t remember a thing when the waked.

The King stepped forward, a three pronged scythe standing at the ready as he face Edge and the crowd silenced.

“I saw better in you old friend, having never failed me before.” The king steadied his weapon at Edge’s neck. “To think such loyalty could fall into betrayal so easily, you will not be waking from this.”

Ah so he wouldn’t live again. He could die with that if it meant Rus was safe. He closed his eyes as Asgore dragged the weapon back and swung. Metal singing through the air along with the pleasant smell of honey. Yes he could die like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, I'm currently trying to get the last chapters written, but I'll try to avoid radio silence again.


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